Traffic

Back to The Future?
Urban Transport
2050
By 2050, urban transport will have been shaped by oil shortages, climate change and the destructive effects of the automobile on urban environments. Major fields of action will be the reorganisation of cities, their density, the kinds of centres they have and the mixture of activities in close proximity.
 
Moreover, the quality of the public realm is key to future transport, as it will enable people to travel by superior public transport, and comfortably and conveniently to walk and cycle.

By Jeff Kenworthy

Why?
There are at least three good reasons for weaning our cities away from the car: oil extraction will soon have passed its peak, climate change is marching on and cars take up space – a lot of space that could be used for other purposes.

In American cities, up to 70 per cent of all surfaces are reserved for transport by car and the services associated with it. The motorised society’s hunger for land is gradually eating up square metres of land that could be fertile and cultivated in and around our cities.

What?
The cars of the future will be electric and thus more efficient and quieter. But there is a great deal to be said for restricting their use overall and promoting public transport, cycling and walking. The fact is that all these transport systems are more land-efficient than the car – and many cities are now up against their limits in terms of transport management. The key nodes in the polycentric cities of the future will mostly be connected by rail, which will also take on an important role in local goods transport. 

How?
First of all, the need for transport should be avoided – by rebuilding our cities in more compact form with a better mix of uses. Producing food near the city also helps to cut down transport distances. Street space will change: other means of transport will join the car on an equal footing. Many squares, above all in inner cities, will have their traffic tamed and thus regain their attractiveness in terms of spending time there. But planning changes are also due: long-term predictions will become increasingly impossible; they will have to be replaced by a more markedly participative and flexible approach.

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